SALEM — Gov. Kate Brown announced new risk levels Tuesday, March 9, which go into effect March 12, according to a press release from the governor’s office.

Based on the preliminary announcement, Umatilla County will remain in the high risk category, while Morrow County drops from moderate risk to low risk.

“We are largely seeing case rates decline across the state, with the most counties in the Lower Risk level since the framework was introduced in November,” Brown said in the release. “This should serve as a reminder that when we follow the health and safety measures we know work against this virus, we can truly make a difference in infection spread. But, we still have more work to do before we reach the level of community-wide protection we need in order to return to a sense of normalcy.”

Umatilla County moved to high risk on Feb. 26. Since the state started the four-tiered risk categories in December, Umatilla County has been firmly entrenched in the extreme risk category.

The high risk category allows indoor and outdoor recreation, entertainment and shopping and retail establishments to reopen at limited capacity. It also allows faith institutions, funeral homes, mortuaries and cemeteries to reopen at limited capacity. Lastly, it allows indoor and outdoor visitation at long-term care facilities and only recommends, rather than requires, that office work be done remotely.

A modification was made to the two-week caution period process announced last week, which had only addressed counties moving back to extreme risk. Beginning this week and continuing until further notice, counties that reduced their COVID-19 spread enough to move down in risk level in the previous two-week period, but see their numbers go back up in the next two-week period, will be given a two-week caution period to bring COVID-19 case rates back down again. 

This week, the caution period applies to two counties — Jackson and Malheur. Jackson County qualifies for extreme risk but is given a two-week caution period at high risk because it moved down from in the last movement period. Malheur County qualifies for high risk but is given a two-week caution period at moderate risk because it moved down in the last movement period.

Only two counties remain in extreme risk — Coos and Douglas — while nine are in the high risk, 12 in moderate and 13 in low risk.

Effective Friday, March 12

Lower Risk (13)

Clatsop

Crook (Moved from High)

Gilliam

Grant

Harney (Moved from Moderate)

Hood River (Moved from Moderate)

Lake (Moved from Moderate)

Lincoln

Morrow (Moved from Moderate)

Sherman

Wallowa

Wasco

Wheeler

Moderate Risk (12)

Baker (Moved from Lower)

Clackamas

Deschutes (Moved from High)

Klamath (Moved from High)

Lane (Moved from High)

Linn

Malheur*

Multnomah (Moved from High)

Tillamook (Moved from Lower)

Union

Washington

Yamhill (Moved from High)

High Risk (9)

Benton (Moved from Extreme)

Columbia

Curry (Moved from Moderate)

Jackson**

Jefferson (Moved from Extreme)

Josephine (Moved from Extreme)

Marion

Polk

Umatilla

Extreme Risk (2)

Coos

Douglas

*Malheur County qualifies for High Risk but is given a two-week caution period at Moderate Risk because it moved down from Extreme Risk in the last movement period.

**Jackson County qualifies for Extreme Risk but is given a two-week caution period at High Risk because it moved down from Extreme Risk in the last movement period.